TEACHERS must be given explicit legal rights to punish pupils and to restrain unruly children by “reasonable force”, ministers will be told today.

A government task force on behaviour in schools will say that present powers to maintain discipline are too vulnerable to legal challenge.

It will also press for schools to be given rights to seek orders from magistrates against any parents who are unwilling to co-operate with teachers.

“Some parents and carers need to be challenged to take their responsibilities seriously,” the report by 13 senior head teachers will say.

The group will call on Ruth Kelly, the Education Secretary, to introduce a national charter that will spell out the rights and duties of parents, pupils and teachers in keeping order in schools. Ms Kelly set up the behaviour task force this year to bring forward proposals for enforcing “zero tolerance” of indiscipline and classroom disruption.

The group, led by Sir Alan Steer, the headmaster of Seven Kings High School, in Ilford, Essex, will publish its recommendations today. Details were leaked to The Times Educational Supplement.

The task force said that teachers’ powers to act “in loco parentis” against unruly pupils were open to challenge. It said: “The Government should introduce a single, new piece of legislation to make clear the overall right to discipline pupils.”

It welcomed the Violent Crime Reduction Bill, which gives head teachers the power to search pupils for weapons without their consent, but said that additional powers might be necessary to enable them to search pupils for stolen property and drugs.

The recommendations come two days after David Bell, the head of Ofsted, reported a slight improvement in behaviour at schools in his annual report. However, he said that disruption remained “a major problem” for some secondary schools.

When Sir Alan met Tony Blair to discuss the work of his task force, he told the Prime Minister: “We do not want to produce a report that just ends up in the filing cabinet.”

The report recommends changes to procedures for dealing with disruptive pupils.

Parents should retain the right to appeal to an independent panel against a school’s decision to expel their child. But panels should be prevented from reinstating pupils on procedural technicalities. The task force said that all schools should develop policies on the use of mobile phones by pupils.

The National Union of Teachers backed the recommendations.

KEEPING CONTROL

The use of physical restraint on children in care homes, secure accommodation or young offender institutions is considered acceptable only when “preventing likely injury, serious damage to property or serious breakdown in order”

Nose distraction involves the restrainer forming a straight line with the upper side and index finger of his or her hand, placing this under the child’s nose and pushing upwards

Rib distraction involves making a fist with the hand and then raising the index finger and pressing the index finger knuckle into the child’s lower back

Thumb distraction involves folding the child’s thumb at right angles across the palm of the hand and then pushing down on thumb nail

The wrap-around arm hold involves wrapping both arms around the young person from the front, back or side. It should not be used for more than one minute

Sources: DFES, Howard League for Penal Reform, Youth Justice Board, Commission for Social Care Inspection

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